BETWEEN THE PROMISE AND THE MIRACLE
LUKE 5:4-6
We've been speaking on the subject of miracles...and hopefully we've come to the place where we honestly and wholeheartedly believe that God is still a miracle working God. And I know that there are at least a few here who can testify on a personal basis that miracles are real.
God has given us the power and authority to do miraculous things...as we see in Mark 16, for instance, where we can take authority over the demonic...lay hands on the sick and see healing take place...and where supernatural divine protection is ours...
But we must also remember that this power and authority is not just a blank check given to us to use as we please. The Holy Spirit empowers us and works through us to demonstrate the truth of the gospel so that people will know and believe that Jesus is Savior...and Lord! REMEMBER...Proclamation and then Demonstration!
But even though the Scriptures are saturated with evidence of the anointing and power that is ours as Christians...we need to keep in mind that miracles...and I mean a genuine, supernatural intervention by God's power...they're not just a dime a dozen. In fact they are the exception rather than the rule.
And it's not because God's power has diminished...or that He no longer works as He did in the past...but because we have, for the most part, simply failed to take Him at His word....to be obedient and trusting and simply do as He has said. But what really complicates things is that we are often impatient...we want it when we want it...and we always want it now!
Throughout Scripture we see so many illustrations of miracles, healings, and situations being taken care of instantaneously. But we often fail to look into those situations from the perspective of the person receiving that miracle.
Bartimaeus was instantly healed...but what about all those years in the meantime? The woman with the issue of blood suffered 12 years and went through doctor after doctor. Hers was a long and difficult struggle until her healing finally took place. And when she was healed...was this the first time she saw or heard of Jesus and His message?
I could list probably hundreds of examples of people who have received a miracle, and healing is just one of many ways God works miracles as we'll soon see. But miracles seldom just pop up. They are not done just to liven things up or to entertain the troops. There is a plan and a purpose behind every supernatural act of God.
And somewhere along the line, faith and a promise from God were involved. And this is where we often miss the boat, because there may be a period of time where you must trust God to work things out in His time and His way. And that can be tough.
There are some here who have shared with me that they truly believe God is going to give them a miracle. There are some here in definite need of a healing in their body...one that would defy a medical diagnosis that gives little or no hope of total recovery. They know the promises of God...and want so much to keep faith and trust in those promises.
But what about the interval between the promise and the miracle. We want those "instant" healings or "instant" miracles like we read about in the Bible...but sometimes it doesn't happen as quick as we would like. This can be a very unsettling, difficult time of waiting and hoping...praying and believing...doubting and denying. What about life in the meantime?
This is something I feel is so important because there's been no greater struggle in my entire life than waiting for the promises of God...waiting for a miracle that I needed. For me it took several years and many tragic, devastating events before I actually experienced the promise of God.
Sometimes it was easy to hold on to my faith in that promise...but at times I almost gave up...right on the very brink of my miracle. And I've come to realize that waiting for God to come through with your miracle can be an agonizing struggle.
During a Monday night football game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, the Bear's running back, had accumulated over nine miles in career rushing yardage. The other announcer remarked, "Yeah, and that's with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!"
Now, I did some figuring. That would be like running from this church to my house and back...but getting knocked down 3,443 1/2 times. Now, obviously I've never been a professional football player...but I can relate to the idea of getting knocked down, slammed around and being a target of the opposition.
The key to success is to get up and run again just as hard...always keeping our eyes on the goal. We need to remember this as we wait for the miracle God has promised. And I want to stress that the goal is not just to see and experience something tremendous or out of the ordinary. Miracles are a confirmation of the Word that are to bring glory to Him...and also people to Him.
But why does God make it so difficult for us? Why doesn't He make things happen sooner. Why do we often have to struggle through those difficult times between our need and the answer to that need being realized? Well, there's a good answer to that, but you probably won't like it any more than I do. It is to perfect our faith and to give it endurance. James 1:2-4 ...1 Peter 1:6-7
Now, if we all said what we really thought about that concept...most of us would say, "I don't care about having my faith perfected. I just need a miracle and I need it right now!"
Most of the times we struggle with God, is because we don't see things from His perspective. What we need to understand is that in this interval...God is preparing YOU for the miracle.
I mentioned Abraham last week...and how he knew God had made him a promise to have not just a son, but descendants without number. But he got tired of waiting for a miracle and tried to do it on his own...and the result was Ishmael - and the difficulties of that decision continue on even today.
But Abraham was not the only person in the Bible to have his faith worked on. Jacob waited many years for his promised birthright. And his efforts to speed up the process by stealing it from his brother accomplished nothing to speed up the process. He should have learned that from his grandfather's example.
Joseph had to wait and endure many terrible things as an Egyptian slave before his dreams came true. And look at David...there were many years and a lot of problems between the time he was anointed as king by Samuel - and the day he actually came to sit on the throne.
Each of these biblical figures received a promise...but each went through a lot in the interval. But here's the good part. They were all changed in the process and were being prepared to receive the promise. So we need to recognize that God is preparing you for your miracle. But we also need to prepare ourselves.
King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah during the reign of Hezekiah. And Sennecherib's messenger was sent to taunt and tease Hezekiah. And in Isaiah 36:8 this messenger says, "Why don't you come and make a bargain with the king of Assyria...and I'll give you 2,000 horses...if you are able on your part to put riders on them." Now that is quite a profound statement...I'll give you horses if you can put riders on them.
And the principle of that statement is basically the same as one of the principles of the kingdom of God...and that principle is - If you just learn to ride, God will give you a horse. In other words, if you'll prepare yourself for God's promise, He will bring it to pass.
I remember the day I made a promise to God about giving my life to Him for ministry. God spoke these words to me...just as plain and clear as I'm speaking to you..."Are you willing to go where I want you to go, and do what I want you to do, no matter what the cost?" I said yes. And God gave me a Scripture and a promise...but it wasn't until many years later that the promise was realized.
But once I received the promise, I began to work in the church with youth...I taught a Sunday School class...I went out street witnessing...and studied my brains out, learning all I could about God and His Word. I spoke at various functions and filled in for our pastor on occasion. I was learning how to ride and soon God gave me a horse.
One of the ways the callings and promises of God are confirmed is in the process of "learning to ride without the horse." If you think God has spoken to you and given you a promise...do something as an act of faith.
Many people are waiting for a promise but not preparing for it to come to pass. I remember hearing of a group of Christians many years ago who were going to meet at their church to pray for God to send rain on their drought-ravaged county.
Apparently one of the group had heard from God that if they'd pray and believe, God would answer their request. But when they all got to the church the pastor sent home every one that didn't bring along an umbrella. They weren't prepared for receiving the promise.
It is in the process of doing what you can...stepping out in faith...and learning to "ride" that God's calling and promises are either confirmed or redirected in your heart. It's like the rudder on a ship...it does no good unless the ship is moving. God can't guide and direct us and use us if we're just sitting there waiting for Him to do it all.
Obedience to the Lord is the essential ingredient for the making of miracles. The angel, Gabriel, after telling Mary she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit said to her, "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37). The literal translation of this verse reads, "No word shall be impossible with God." And the Greek word rhema which is used in this verse refers to the spoken word.
Whatever God speaks to you is possible. I believe there is always a miracle within our grasp...BUT it's not always in the same place..and it doesn't always happen in the same way. We have to be careful how we presume upon God's directions. He is sovereign!
And the great advice of Mary is advice we should all take very much to heart..."Whatever He says to you, do it!" There is a story I want to take a quick look at...and this is one of the most meaningful Scriptures of all for me. It is the Scripture I was given when I first committed myself to serving God wherever He would lead me. Luke 5:4-6...READ
Launch out into the deep...that was the word God gave me...confirmed several ways...and it is a passage that is so important in the making of a miracle. Because in every miracle you'll find faith, obedience and the willingness to take a risk.
And these represent the 3 hurdles that you will have to overcome to receive a miracle...doubt - fear - and thinking you know it all. It would have been much easier for those men to ignore Jesus' suggestion, rather than to load up the nets again and go at it again. Fishing all night, especially the way they did it, tends to wear you out.
Peter and his co-workers had no reason to believe they would catch anything. And what would Jesus know about fishing anyway, He was a carpenter? They were the experts. And sometimes we fall into the same thinking when in need of a miracle.
They had no reason to believe anything would happen...except that Jesus said to do it! And this is the key. God may want us to step out in faith and do something that goes against our own ideas of what should be done.
Launch out into the deep. For us, deep water can be symbolic of taking a substantial risk. And the greatest hindrance to walking in faith is trying to be fail-safe. Hunting for some method or formula is for people who want to calculate their risk. But following God is totally unpredictable. Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees without a plan or a road map. He just obeyed the voice.
People are longing for God to work in their lives or perform miracles in their situations. But the problem for many is that if He does speak they won't do anything. If He does challenges...they won't take the risk.
When the challenge comes, they say, "I just need one more sign and one more confirmation that you really want to touch me..or work in my life..." But there's no sense talking about asking God for a miracle if you're not going to do anything when you hear from Him.
Moses would never have seen the miraculous in his life and ministry if he'd have stayed in the desert waiting for God to snap His fingers and do it all Himself. God wanted to bless and use Moses to fulfill His purposes...but Moses had to be obedient and launch out into the deep.
Every time I've found a miracle in my life, it's because I took the risk and obeyed the leading. And there is risk in that. Every time I've released people to take charge, it's a big risk. What if they fail? What if they're unfaithful? What if the water's too deep and they're in over their heads?
Well, we'll be in trouble. But I'll never know and they'll never know until they take the plunge. But when they do they'll find they're not alone. So many times as pastor I just pray, lead the cheers...and hold on for the ride. And that is risky.
But I believe in people and I believe in miracles. As long as we keep pouring, the fresh oil will keep multiplying. God will do that for you, too! And it's not just that God wants to give you a miracle...He wants to make you a miracle in someone's life, too! That's where the greatest joy comes from.
Has God been speaking to you about launching out into the deep? It may be to reach out and be the recipient of a miracle...( physical...emotional...relational...spiritual...financial).
Maybe He wants to make you a miracle in someone else's life. Maybe He's calling you to launch out into a new ministry. You may be His next Moses...or His next Aaron... You may be one who can bring new life and healing to someone, and you need supernatural power...God is able.
